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Monday, 27 November 2017

Sea

Looking to the Brough

Gannets and Noup Head (Westray)

Looking east

Common Gull

Common Gull

On NW winds I'm checking every gull as it comes west, coasting. It's always a good sign if there are a few Great Black-backs and this afternoon there were a good few of them coming west. Eventually this fine Iceland Gull was picked out from the crowd. (Not as sharp as I would like, really.)

I'd better check the age but maybe a 3cy.

I'd been pretty engrossed in all this and then thought to head to the tea room when Louise reminded me that I was meant to be planting trees at 2pm, and I had the keys... Quick scoot back to arrive just ten minutes late.

The Woodland Trust had provided us with another 400 odd trees most of which we put in the ground before it got dark. These are to try and create a bit of habitat and a bit of shelter on our very exposed school grounds.

The West Mainland Farmer's Ball (and the harvest home) is always an interesting and largely very enjoyable event. We headed there last night to support younger daughter collecting her various pony riding awards. Best is to see folk of all ages dancing together, tradition and culture kept alive enthusiastically. The down side is quite often (but not always) the speaker. (There are certain things that it really is not appropriate to make a joke about.) The Orcadian language is very much alive here, and that is a more positive aspect of these speeches. I still have to listen very hard to understand all that is said.

I meant to post this the other week, Buzzard P, locally bred four years ago and hanging out in the trees next door, I finally managed to read the tag. There is currently another tagged bird hanging out around Bosquoy, I've still not managed to read that tag.